'I moved to Atletico Madrid after joining Arsenal – I suffered a lot of things'
One player who has pulled on the colours of both Arsenal and Atletico Madrid revealed how he "suffered" at one point in his career as the two teams meet in the Champions League
Former Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira once revealed the "suffering" he experienced at the Emirates prior to joining Atletico Madrid. The Uruguayan is one among a small number of players to have represented both clubs, who are set to clash in the Champions League on Tuesday.
The Gunners will host Atletico in the hopes of extending their perfect start to the European campaign. Diego Simeone's side have already lost once in England this term after falling at Liverpool, only to respond with an emphatic 5-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt during the last European window.
There were high hopes for Torreira when then-Arsenal boss Unai Emery signed him from Sampdoria in 2018. However, successor Mikel Arteta agreed to let him join Atleti on loan in the summer of 2020, at which point the South American had become sorely frustrated.
"I’ve suffered a lot of things, I had a lot of personal problems and more than anything my family also suffered," he told Uruguayan outlet Ovación after joining Atletico on temporary tersm. "And with this adventure everyone is very happy.
"The most important thing is to be able to enjoy myself on the pitch, to be able to help teammates and make the fans happy, because in the end football is just that."
READ MORE: Arsenal news: Declan Rice comment speaks volumes as bold Mikel Arteta claim madeREAD MORE: Arsenal star sends message to Mikel Arteta after win - 'Hopefully he's watching'Torreira, 29, made 39 appearances for Arsenal during Arteta's debut campaign at the Arsenal helm. However, he has spoken about the language barrier being difficult to overcome during his time in the Premier League.
He hoped to cure that issue by moving to La Liga with Atletico. And it quickly became evident the midfielder preferred his situation in the Spanish capital.
"I know I am a year on loan," he continued. "I’ve been here for four or five days and it seems like it’s a lot, because I’ve been treated very well.
"It’s a new opportunity in my life, in which I have fought a lot, because Atletico has always been one of my dreams, one of my goals, and being able to achieve it at the age of 24 is very important."
Despite Torreira's wishes to make the move permanent, Atletico decided not to extend his stay beyond the loan agreement. He joined Fiorentina on a similar loan having accused Arsenal of costing him his place in the Uruguay team before finally completing a permanent switch to current club Galatasaray in 2022.
And he appears to have found a home that suits him in Istanbul. Torreira, who once called the Arsenal dressing room "madness," has played a prominent role in Gala's revival in recent years, winning three successive Super Lig titles since moving to Turkey.
As two of his former sides prepare to face off for the first time in more than seven years, Torreira may watch on with a tinge of regret. The Gunners, meanwhile, will look to prove how they've moved on for the better as they aim for a third Champions League win in as many outings this term.
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